Safety attachment for clothes-wringers.



H. LOEFFLER.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS. APPLICATION FIL'ED DEC. I8.1913.

Fi ff w 25 I '26 If WTTNESSES: I

BY Wfi; F

ATTORNEYS Harm ins filer,

H. LOEFFLER. SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18, T9l3. LESQ MTSO Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w/ //AN WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS vantage when applied to power-driven UNITED %TATE% PATENT@lEFllCE.

HENRY LOEFFLER, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HURLEY MACHINECOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR CLOTHES-WRINGERS.

annie.

Application filed December 18, 1913.

T a W1: om it may concern lie it known that I, HENRY Lonrrnnn, a citizenof the United States, residing at Newark, in the coinity of Essex andState of Xew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Safety Attachments for Clothes-Vringers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompany 'to providea safety device or guard for clothes-wringers, which is simple inconstruction and operation, cheap to manufacture, and very efficient inguarding the rollers of the clotheswringei.'; the same being soconstructed and arranged that the clothes to be wrung may be easily andquickly fed therethrough into operative contact with the said rollers,but which will bar the fingers or hands of the operator from contactwith the rollers.

A further object of the present invention is to so arrange theguard-members, that a proper arrangement of the drip-board of theclothes-wringcr will automatically position the guard-members withrelation to the wringer-rollers, no matter from which side of theclothes-wringer the clothes are to be fed thcrethrough.

The present invention is of particular adclothes'wringers, in which therollers are continuously rotated, the same being driven by anelectric-'motor, or source of power other than the-muscular force of theoperator. In such clothes-wringers the move- Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Rfay 18, 1152915,

Serial No. 807,379.

readily and quickly controllable, since to stop the same the sourceofpower must be shut off, hence it frequently happens, in the use of thesame, that the operator catches the fingers and hands in the rollers,and under such circumstances is unable to stop the rollers in order tosave the fingers and hands from injury, consequently frequently suffersserious injury often amounting to permanent crippling of the fingers orhands. It is the object of the present invention to render impossiblesuch occurrences.

Other objects of the presentinvention, not at this time moreparticularly enumerated,-Will be clearly understood from the followingdetailed description of the present invention.

With the various objects of this invention in view, the same consists,primarily, in the novel safety device for clothes-.wringers hereinafterset forth; and, furthermore, this invention consists in the novelarrangements and combinations of the various mechanisms-and their parts,as well as in the details of the construction thereof, all of which willbe hereinafter more fully described in' the following specification, andthen finally embodied in the claims which are appended to and which forman essen tial part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is an elevation of one side of a 'clothes-wringerequipped with the novel safety devicemade according to and embodying theprinciples of the present invention Fig. 2 is an elevation of theopposite side of said clothes-wringer soequipped, the upper portion ofthe clothes-wringer being broken away on this View; and Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section of the same taken on line 33 in said Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference character 1. indicatesa complete clothes-wringcr, the same comprising the verticalstandard-members 2, interconnected. at their upper ends by thecross-head bar 3. The "ljower ends 4 of said standard-members 2 areadapted to be connected with the wash-tub body 5, by means of any of thewell-known, or any suitable form of fastening devices 6.

in said standard-members 2, are the pair of transversely extendingwringer-rolls 8 and 8, the same being positioned one above the otherinthe usual manner so as to receive,

the clothes to be wrung therebetween. The

- shafts -9 and 9 of said rolls 8 and 8' are v provided with the usualintermeshinggears, which are inclosed in the gear-box 10,

and by means of which said rolls are caused respectively to rotate inopposite directions, also in the usual and well-known manner. The shaft90f the lower roll 8 is provided with an extension 11, which may bedirectly or indirectly connected and driven from some suitable source ofpower, such as an electric motor, water-motor, or the like.

The upper ll 8 is mounted so as to be capable of a certain amount ofyielding vertical movement, as controlled by the pressure of thetensioning mechanism comprising the spring-members 12, crosshead 13, andadj usting-screws l l, all of which is common and well-known in theconstruction of clothes-wringers. Secured to opposite sides of theclotheswringers, so as to extend transversely from one standard-memberto the other, are the side-members 15, the upper. marginal edges ofwhich register in a plane slightly below the axis of said lower roll 8.

Pivotally connected between said standard members, so as to extendtransversely between the same, is an. oscillatable dripboard 16, whichmay be inclined downwardly from either side of the wringer and itsrolls, and which serves to return the -'water wrung from the clothespassing through the rolls, to the receptacle from which the wet clothesare taken, or, in other words, to that side of the wringer from whichthe clothes are fed to the rolls.

Extending beneath said drip-hoard 16 is a cross-bar 17, and the under'sideof said drip-board is provided with spring-members 18 adapted tofrictionally engage said crossbar, and thereby retain said drip-board ineither desired inclination or tilted position, as indicated in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. Secured 'upon the inner sides of said standard-members 2,so as to be vertically disposed upon one side of the rolls 8 and 8 are apair of oppositely -faci'ngguide-memhers 19, the same providing verticalgrooves, Slidably mounted insaid or channels 20. grooves or channels 20,so as to be capable of Ivertical movements, as guided by said groovesorchannels 20 of said guide-mem-v -bers 19, is a transversely disposedguardplate 21, the same possessing alongitudinal opening or slot 22, theouter edges of which are rounded or chamfered, as at 23. Connected withsaid guard-plate 21 are a pair of perforated earsor lugs 24, in whichare journaled the upper ends 25 of suitable connecting-rods 26. Thelower endsof said connecting-rods 26 are provided with inwardly turnedjournal-portions 27, which are receivable in suitable openings 28 formedI in said drip-board 16, adjacent to one of its free ends, therebypivotally connecting said connecting-rods with said drip-board, so

that any movement of the latter will be transmitted to said guard-plate21 and will produce a vertical movement thereof corre-- sponding indirection to the movement of said drip-board. Also secured upon theinner sides of said standard-members 2, so as to be vertically disposedupon the opposite side of the rolls 8 and 8, are a pair of oppositelyfacing guide-members 29, the same providing vertical grooves. orchannels 30. Slidably mounted in said grooves or channels 30,'so as tobe capable of vertical movements, as guided by said grooves or channels30 of said guide-members 29,

is a transversely disposed guard-plate 31, Y the same possessing alongitudinal opening or slot 32, the outer .edges of which areconnecting said connecting-rods 36 with said drip-board, so that anymovement 'of the latter will be transmitted to said guardplate 31, andwill produce a vertical movement thereof corres onding in direction tothe movement of said drip-board.

-As illustrated in Figs-1 and 2, and 3 of the drawings, theclothes-wringer is shown ready for use, and arranged so that the clothesare to be fed to the rolls 8 and '8" from the left hand side of themachine. As so arranged it is necessary to so oscillate or move thedrip-board 16, that it inclines downwardly at the left hand side of themachine, and upwardly at the right hand side thereof, so that, as thuspositioned, it

will catch, guide and return the'water fallginning the wringingoperations, by pressing the left hand end of the same downwardly. Such adownward movement of said drip-board 16 is transmittedithrough theconnecting-rods 26 to said guard-plate assess-e plate 31, and itsopening or slot 32 will be removed from its guarding relation to saidrolls 8 and 8', and consequently will not obstruct or impede the passageor movement of "the clothes from the said rolls.

The machine being thus made ready for operation and use, the power isturned on and its rolls caused to rotate. The clothes are now taken upand inserted through said 'slot or vopening 22 of the guard-plate, 21

' to contact with the-said rolls 8 and 8' hich grip the same and pullthem through the said slot or opening 22, which isnot large or wideenough to permit the fingers 1 or hands to pass therethrough and come incontact with the said rolls, the guard-plate 21 thereby guarding thehands and fingers of the operator from injury by being caught in saidrolls.

If it is desired to pass the clothes from the right to the left of themachine, the position of said drip-board 16'and theguard-platesinterconnected therewith are reversed, as indicated by thedotted representation of said parts as shown in Fig. 3. of the drawings,and the rotation of the rolls 8 and 8 is reversed, so that such oppositemovement ,of-

the clothes may be attained.

,It will be thus apparent-that no matter from which side the clothes arefed the rolls are properly guarded by my novel safety device, theguardplates thereof bein auto with the drip-board ill, the lowerjournal-v portions of the connecting-rods, thereupon d hnnectmg saidguard-plates from drip-hoard so that tiesainc may be entirely removedfrom, their respective guide-211cm,

bers. In such use of the clothesrwringer, the operator is little liableto injurysince, the rolls 8 and 8 have to be separated to accommodatethe bulk of theheavy articles, and the process is slower, and theattention roll", guard-pl guide-members and upon opposite sides of theoperator not apt to wander, as often occurs when successively feeding alarge quantity or small articles through the clothes-wringer.

v From the above description the many advantages and novelties of thepresent invention will be readily apparent without furtherspecification.

v I ani'awarethat some changes may be made in the general arrangementsand combin-ations of the various devices and parts, as well as in thedetails of the construction thereof, without departing from the scope ofthe present invention as set forth in the fore going specification, andas defined in the claims. appended thereto. Hence, I do not limit myinvention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the devices andparts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myselftothe exact details of the construction of the said devices and parts asillustrated in the accompanying drawings. A

I claim 1. The combination with a clothes-wringer having wringer rollsof an oscillatable dripboard, vertically movable guard-plates eachprovided with an opening, said guardplates being arranged on oppositesides of said rolls, means for guiding said guardplates, and meansinterconnecting said guard-plates respectively with the free-ends ofsaid drip-board.

'2. The combination with a clothes-wringer comprising verticalstandard-members, a pair of transversely mounted wringer-rolls, and adrip-board pivotally mounted beneath said rolls, of guide-memberssecuredt'o said standardqnembers, a guard-plate slidably mounted in saidguide-members, said guard- 3. The combination with aclothes wringercomprising vertical standard-members, a pair of wringcr rolls ournaledthcrebetween, and an oscillat'al'ile drip-i ard pivoted to saidstandardmembers beneath said rollswith its free ends extending fromopposite sides of said rolls, vertically members secured uponsaidstimdard-Ineinhers and loca' a opposite of said ally movable in saiddim std transversely of said rolls, and connecting-mo intcrcm toutingsaid guardplatcs .respi. tively wi 1 the rmpositely projecting endsotsaid drip-board, said guard plates each having a longitudinal. slotadaptcdto'be brought in registration with or car'- iiied away fromregistration with the meetgrowled guide- {1. In a clothes-wringerprovided with wringer-rolls,

a pair of vertically movable guard-plates .having longitudinal openingstherein disposed respectively upon opposite sides of saidrolls, andmeans for simultaneously producing vertical movements of saidguard-plates respectivelyin opposite directions to register one of saidguard-plates with said rolls on one side of the latter and to-removefrom registration with said rolls saiifl guard-plate on the oppositeside of said rol s.

5. In a clothes. wringer provided with v Wrin er-rolls, a pair ofvertically movable guar -plates' having longitudinal openings thereindisposed respectively upon opposite sides of said rolls, means mountedon said clothes-wringer. frame for slidably supportbeneath said rollsso. tend from opposite sides of said rolls, con- "setforth above I havehereunto set Witnesses:

ing said guard-plates, a drip-board pivoted that its free endsexnesting-rods respectively interconnecting the said guard-plateswiththe free ends of said drip-board whereby the oscillation of the endsproduces vertical movements of said guar plates respectively in oppositedirections to register one of said guard-plates with. said rolls on oneside of the latter and to remove from registration with said rolls saidguardplate on the opposite sideof said rolls. T

In tes timony,' that I claim the invention my .hand this 16th day ofDecember, 1913.

' 'HENRY GEORGE D. Rwmnos, FRED H. W. Famurrzer,

of said drip-board simultaneously

